


Break of Dawn

by PurpleArrowzandLeather



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Assassins & Hitmen, Gen, Hurt Castiel (Supernatural), Hurt/Comfort, no editing, we die like mne
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-23
Updated: 2019-08-23
Packaged: 2020-09-24 10:24:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20356918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PurpleArrowzandLeather/pseuds/PurpleArrowzandLeather
Summary: The Winchesters are part of an underground group of assassins called the Organization. After a night of moonlighting, they bring their questions to Gabriel out of concern for a friend.





	Break of Dawn

**Author's Note:**

> Keedoke, guys. I don't really do AUs much, so this one is kinda short. I liked Apocalypse Michael for this better than the one wearing Adam's face, and Raphael is in his male body. Everyone else is pretty much the same aside from a few differences in character traits. Also, the bunker is being used as the base for the Organization.  
I own nothing.

If there’s one thing that Gabriel hates more than other assassins, it’s assassins with a hero complex. That being said, Gabriel can be a little bit of a hypocrite. 

The Organization doesn’t mind if in between missions their operatives turn freelancers. They say it encourages them to come back, but Gabriel hasn’t really checked to see if that’s true. He’s worked alongside the patrons for as long as he can remember, keeping an eye on their lower members by blending in. He’s been flying under the radar, hiding from both the members and the patrons, but such is life, there are those who know exactly who he is. 

“Those” being a couple of people called the Winchesters. It was, shockingly, Dean who figured it out first. Gabriel always thought the guy was kind of an ass, but he’s smarter than anyone gives him credit for. Maybe even himself. 

That, and the Winchesters likely also found the information through one of his loose-lipped younger surrogate siblings. Their entire ‘family’ was raised in the Organization (more like they _are _the Organization), just like the Winchesters, but time did them more harm than good. In truth, he didn’t keep in touch enough to know who all they’d met. 

A mistake, on his part, honestly. He’s more in touch with the boys than with his own brothers, which is kind of sad. 

Of course, maybe from another perspective, it wasn’t. All things considered, those two idiots bring more trouble than they’re worth, but the patrons believe they’ll be helpful. Gabriel doesn’t see it, but he’s underestimated them before. Honestly, the hit on Azazel was impressive even if he did take the elder Winchesters out of commission. 

Mary was impressive, or so Gabriel has been told. He never got the chance to meet her, but the patrons have. Even Michael was impressed, and he’s never impressed by anyone. His oldest brother tells scary stories to the newbies, but then again.... Michael always was a bit sadistic when it came to the little people. Monkeys, he calls them. 

Spending as much time with them as he does, Gabriel isn’t inclined to believe that. 

The Organization itself is made up of four levels. The lowest one is where the moonlighters are. They do the dirty jobs like cover-ups and burning evidence. They make deals with cops and witnesses if there are any who threaten to interfere. Some even go so far as to get jobs where they have the perfect access. 

The Winchesters nicknamed them demons. They’ve got an ironic sense of the biblical. 

Level 2 is where the Winchesters are. They take any and every job that the Organization says to. Jobs can vary from a quick and easy home base execution to a very, very bloody outing to tear down an entire corporation. Though, with the amount of information those guys steal and memorize and the dirt that they collect on anyone they can, they may as well be an honorary level 3. 

Speaking of Level 3, they’re the people who run key operations. There are quite possibly thousands of them. No one really knows except the patrons. Companies all over the world that contain money-makers and shareholders work together to provide funding for the Organization. And, as previously mentioned, they are where the intelligence is. Spies, really. 

After that, the tippity-top of the Organization is Level 4. The patrons, aka Gabriel’s siblings, are included at this point. Michael, Lucifer and Raphael run the branches like managers. Michael oversees all of the levels, but 3 is his strong suit and his main focus. Raphael runs 2 – the soldiers – and Lucifer runs Level 1. It didn’t take their predecessors long to realize he had a clever way about him in getting people to do what he wanted. 

Gabriel, though? He couldn’t care less about the family business. 

A whole base’s worth of assassins and two of them are the talk of the whole place. A few hundred operatives, all for what? He could almost laugh at the pointlessness of it. 

Lounging in the den as he is now, he peers at the main door when a couple figures slip inside. “It’s about time you got in.” 

They shake off the rain, hanging their cloaks and stepping down into the den. The open room is mostly empty save for Gabriel and a few others. Sauntering down the couple steps towards Gabriel’s little nook, Sam and Dean join him. 

“You boys come on in and warm up.” 

Sam looks skeptical. “Is... something wrong?” 

“No. Is there something I should know about that would make you think something was?” Gabriel raises a brow, tilting his book down and eyeing both of them. 

‘Shady’ would be the operative word if they weren’t clad in their usual assassin black. By that point, the word is redundant. 

Dean tugs his mask down, starting to shed his armor with no regard for where he slings rainwater. Gabriel scowls at him, but Dean simply shrugs and settles down in a chair. He’s not much for words, and he most certainly doesn’t share them with Gabriel. 

Gabriel watches them both for a long moment, noting that they’re sitting shoulder to shoulder on the couch. Sam may be bigger, but Dean’s presence fills the small alcove in a matter of moments. Gabriel tries not to let that intimidate him seeing as Dean is the best operative they have. 

“You’re back far later than you should be.” 

Sam and Dean wait for him to continue, knowing that he’s not finished with them yet. Gabriel wouldn’t have asked if he wasn’t going to pursue the matter. 

“Do I get to know why or and I going to report you two to the men upstairs?” 

Dean tilts his head, narrowing his eyes at Gabriel and silently ordering him to let it go. Gabriel isn’t about to back down just because Dean Winchester wishes it. 

“Freelancing again?” 

Sam nods. 

“Good. Now, the only question is who hired you. It’s good to keep future clients in mind when considering later endeavors.” 

Neither of them appear to have an answer, so the only conclusion can be that they lied. 

Out of the goodness of his heart, he decides to drop it. “Okay, you two. Have it your way. But just so you know? You owe me now.” He waggles his brows at them, smiling. “You know me, boys. I always collect, and I expect you to deliver when I do.” 

Sam inclines his head, seeming gratuitous enough to appease Gabriel. “Always.” 

The boys settle into silence, Sam getting up to get a book and a little food. He hands a plate to Dean who eats in the quiet as if he’s never seen food before. 

“Dean-o?” 

He pauses between bites, lifting his eyes to Gabriel’s. 

“I left your favorite in the ice chest.” 

Dean squints discerningly at him. 

“Not the one with all the hands in it, I promise. Not only is that cruel, that’s like food abuse. I would _ never _ harm innocent sweets.” 

Dean quietly removes himself from the alcove, leaving Sam and Gabriel to eat in peace. They both know that he would never turn them in for something like unsourced freelancing now. Loathe as he would be to admit it, he’s kind of become something like a benefactor to them. Gabriel protects them if he can. 

Sam glances guiltily at his food, shaking his head a little. “Gabriel?” 

“Hmm?” 

“The rumors that operatives are going missing. Are they true?” 

Gabriel huffs, shifting to take up a little more of the chair. “Why would you care about that? I’m a hundred percent certain that no one capturing other assassins is going to pose a threat to you or Dean.” 

“You can’t be sure of that.” 

“Sure, I can.” 

Dean walks back in, offering a plate of pie to Gabriel before settling next to Sam with his own. He seems to debate with himself for a long while before looking up at Gabriel. 

“If... If they aren’t a threat, then answer me this: How long has it been since you’ve seen Cas?” 

Gabriel blinks, not only in surprise at the statement, but at the gravel of Dean’s voice. He doubts that Dean has ever said a word to him before, and if he had.... Gabriel certainly doesn’t remember it happening. The fact that he does so now is almost worrying. 

“You two both know that he’s been on assignment overseas. He can’t spend every waking moment in the bunker.” 

Dean glares a little. 

“Are you proposing that I clear you two from duty for a rescue mission?” 

“Yes.” 

Sam looks concerned at Dean’s angry expression. Cas is his best friend, and he would die before letting anything happen to him or Sam. Michael and his missions could rot in a hole for all he cares if his family is in danger. 

Gabriel closes his eyes, sighing to himself. “Fine, but only if you leave immediately. If I clear you for leaving in the morning but Michael has already assigned something, then there’ll be nothing I can do.” 

“Agreed.” Sam says, following his older brother as he gets up to leave. 

He talks to them even as they walk away. “I’ll get into communications and keep up with you from there. Let me know when you reach his last known location.” 

Dean only turns after he’s already at the door, staring down at Gabriel with a form of gratitude in his expression. Sam’s reaching for his civilian coat when he tells them both to be careful. Gabriel nods, grumbling to himself after they’re gone. Hero complexes. At this point, he’s beyond questioning their decisions. He only hopes they don’t end up dead. 

Michael’s sword won’t be worth much as a corpse. 

Sam and Dean speed out of the bunker’s garage, headed for Cas’s tracking signal. It’s a long ten hours on the road even with the way Dean drives. The east coast isn’t usually where Sam and Dean choose to operate. 

Upon arrival, both men are exhausted. Radioing in to Gabriel only has him telling them to pace themselves. He’s not wrong, but they don’t have time to waste. 

The signal, they find, is coming from the bloody spot on the ground. 

Sam puts a hand to his ear, growling. “Gabriel.” 

“_ I’m listening _.” 

“The tracker is here, but Cas is gone. It’s looking like someone cut it out. There’s blood around, but not enough to kill him. Can you use access the security footage from there or do you need something with direct connection?” 

“_ Gimme _ _ a sec _.” 

Sam waits patiently while Dean looks around. He picks up a strip of cloth, the light tan unfortunately familiar. A few more patches of blood make it clear that Castiel didn’t go willingly. Sam makes a face when Dean holds something up for him to see. 

“We’ve got a finger over here.” 

“_ Cas’s _?” 

Dean shakes his head and Sam confirms his conclusion. Gabriel seems relieved, but he still hasn’t been able to hack the security cams. Dean picks up a familiar dagger from under a dumpster, clenching his jaw at the blood crusted around the hilt. 

“From what we can tell, Cas was in civilian clothes. Any idea what his mission was supposed to be or are we going to have to shake that answer out of Michael?” 

“_ From what I can tell? He was supposed to be taking out a wealthy business by the name of Aldrich Cole. Supposedly, he’s been funneling money out of his own business into secure accounts for some of our opposition. Without a card number, getting proof was going to be impossible. Once Cas had the evidence, he was supposed to plant it after staging the guy’s suicide _.” 

Sam sighs. “Yeah. Looks like something went wrong. My bet is that he’s had a few of our operatives after him already, right?” 

“_ Looks like.... That’s never a good sign _.” 

“What?” 

“_ Michael’s records say that nine of us have already taken a crack at the case. All of them disappeared, but Michael kept everything under wraps _.” 

“Well, that makes this harder. Got anything from traffic cams yet?” 

“_ No. Looks like you’ll have to track them down on foot. Nothing is angled the right direction, past or present _.” 

With a grumbling noise, Dean heads for the car. Sam follows, frowning as Dean motions towards a grubby dude on the sidewalk. 

Maybe a witness. 

Sam questions the man, trying to keep him focused even as he stares at Dean. Yes, his older brother can be a bit tense, but he’s not exactly one for saying something to change it. As it turns out, he said one of the homeless came into the shelter a couple days before saying she saw someone kidnap a guy. Gabriel is decidedly less than happy to hear that. 

Sam and Dean aren’t any better. 

The homeless shelter isn’t far, so the pair of them walk down the street to get there. All the woman has for them when they get there is a description of the vehicle and a time of attack. While not exactly encouraging, it gives them somewhere to start. Gabriel searches the cameras a second time for a car fitting the specifications. 

He finds a sum total a thirty-two, but only two of them were near the place where Cas was when he was taken. Only one was headed the right direction. Gabriel uses everything he can from the bunker to lead them to a warehouse in the business district. An odd place for one, but that does make it kind of perfect. There are always people around and no one can really say what normal traffic is like. 

It’s just a shame for the men who took Cas that they don’t care. 

Making their way inside, they find more than enough goons waiting. Dean uses Castiel’s dagger with a swift and definitive vengeance, swinging around to protect Sam as more flood into the room. 

There’s a reason they call Dean Michael’s sword. More deadly and efficient than any of the approaching men expect, he cuts through them as if it’s the easiest thing in the world. 

It isn’t long until the last man standing is forced to take them to the operatives. When they find the proper door, he doesn’t even have a chance to plead for his life before Sam cuts him down. Anyone who takes something or someone from them will regret it. 

Dean opens the door, cold air blowing out of the freezer room. Walking inside, they find all nine missing operatives frozen on the meat racks. Number ten still hangs in the center of the room, skin pale and breaths trembling from his chest. Most of his clothes are in a pile on the floor, not disposed of yet. His dignity will be grateful that they didn’t strip him of all of them. 

“Cas?” 

He doesn’t move, so Dean approaches him. The older man lifts Cas, taking the strain off his wrists while Sam picks the locks. Sam fills in Gabriel while Dean pulls Cas from the room. Castiel doesn’t make a single move to get away from him, simply curling on himself and shivering on the floor when Dean puts him down. He’s covered in long cuts and what appear to be electrical burns. 

They must have wanted something. 

Dean slaps him once in an attempt to get him to come around. Cas groans, his eyes opening just a crack. He doesn’t say anything, but a relieved sigh leaves his chest. Dean pulls his coat off, helping Cas sit up enough to put it on. In the distance, he vaguely hears Sam telling Gabriel that they can’t fit nine bodies in the trunk. 

Castiel pulls the jacket as close to himself as he can, shoving his hands into his pockets as he wait for Sam to come up with a solution. It doesn’t take long for him to return from the car with a thick blanket and a change of clothes. In the Organization, they’re nothing if not prepared. 

Sam wraps him up nice and snug to tide him over until he gets the clothes free from the duffle. “How’re you feeling, buddy?” 

“Irritated.” 

“What did they want from you? Do you know?” 

Cas doesn’t resist as the younger Winchester slides the new pants over his hips, only fighting him a little when he takes the blanket for a minute to put a shirt on him. 

Gabriel asks Sam to repeat the question so he does. Cas makes a face. “At first, they just wanted to know what I was here for. After they discovered the evidence I collected, they wanted the location for the Organization’s headquarters. If you left any alive, they’ll be disappointed to discover that I finished the mission.” He huffs, groaning a little. “Glad Bobby taught us to make copies of everything.” 

Dean turns Cas’s face to get a better look at the cut on his cheek. Cas winces, grimacing when Dean lets his head drop to poke around his other wounds. Sam continues to ask him questions just to keep him from nodding off, remaining very serious even as he warms up. 

When they finish, the boys pull him to his feet and support him all the way out to the car. It takes too long, but no one sees them. Dean drives the whole way home, leaving Sam to tend to Castiel in the backseat. While his stitches are less than pretty, they get the job done. 

Cas nods off after a while, safe enough in the vehicle to do so. The Impala has become a source of comfort for them, whether they need a quick getaway or just somewhere to wind down. Kind of like a second home. 

Dean named it on one of the rare occasions that he actually spoke. ‘Baby’ may not be very original, but it’s his. Sam will take it over having nothing. 

Arriving at the bunker, they find Michael waiting for them, Gabriel standing behind and a little left of him. “I heard you had an interesting day.” 

Dean stands tall in front of Michael, staring him down to let him know that he’s not apologizing. Michael seems vaguely amused, but he lets it go. Instead, he opts to take a good look at Castiel. He tips his chin up, noting that Cas doesn’t seem to terrible. He’d hate to lose one of his best. 

“You’re... well enough, I take it?” 

“I’ll live.” Cas answers. 

Michael chuckles to himself more than anyone. “Good. You’re benched for the week while you recover.” He stares at Castiel, his expression more patient than he feels. “One more thing.” 

Cas squares his shoulders even under the blanket. “Mission accomplished.” 

“I’d expect nothing less.” 

When Michael leaves, Gabriel steps forwards and embraces Cas. “It’s good to have you back in one piece. You’re just lucky these boys have good instincts.” 

Cas laughs, glancing at the two boys out of the corner of his eye. “I guess I am.” 

Gabriel takes them back to his quiet corner, smirking when Cas leans over and falls asleep on Dean’s shoulder. He doesn’t seem to mind, finishing up his pie from earlier even though it’s a bit dry. Sam falls asleep shortly after that, slouched on the couch in a rather ridiculous position. 

Gabriel huffs to himself, opening his book to where he left off. It’s not often they get to have homely moments like this, so he’ll enjoy it while he can. 


End file.
